The Emperor's second alternate outfit "Violet Robe" is based on [[:File:EmperorOrigins.JPG|his appearance]] in the ''[[Final Fantasy Origins]]'' [[Full Motion Video|FMV]], giving him a primarily black robe with dark purple details, high shoulders, knee-high boots and a large purple sash around his waist. The Emperor's hair is styled differently, and he bears a single larger pair of horns.

The Emperor's second alternate outfit "Violet Robe" is based on [[:File:EmperorOrigins.JPG|his appearance]] in the ''[[Final Fantasy Origins]]'' [[Full Motion Video|FMV]], giving him a primarily black robe with dark purple details, high shoulders, knee-high boots and a large purple sash around his waist. The Emperor's hair is styled differently, and he bears a single larger pair of horns.

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As a [[List of Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Downloadable Content#Final Fantasy II|downloadable fourth outfit]] "The Light Emperor", the Emperor takes on the form of the [[:File:Emeror Soul PSP.png|Emperor of Heaven]] as seen in the [[Soul of Rebirth]] bonus quest. The Emperor wears a pale yellow and gold robe with light purple linings that bares his upper collar and shoulders. He has his eyes closed, a different hairsyle, and several white wings and a metal crest extend from behind his shoulders.

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As a [[List of Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Downloadable Content#Final Fantasy II|downloadable fourth outfit]] "The Light Emperor", the Emperor takes on the form of the [[:File:Emeror Soul PSP.png|Emperor of Heaven]] as seen in the [[Soul of Rebirth]] bonus quest. The Emperor wears a pale yellow and gold robe with light purple linings that bares his upper torso and shoulders. He has a different hairsyle, and several white wings and a metal crest extend from behind his shoulders.

A callous monarch who views all as mere pawns in his attempts to rule over the world.

—Description

The Emperor is one of the villains fighting for the side of Chaos in Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. He is a man capable of performing immensely powerful magic. With an iron fist, he will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives. As one of the higher-ranked villains, he plots with Ultimecia to take control of the world, rather than most of the other villains who seek to destroy it. His desire to rule all stands in opposition to Firion's dream of a world free of war and oppression.

Contents

Attire

The Emperor's outfit is based on his Amano artwork from Final Fantasy II. He wears gold and purple armor decorated with small spikes, purple and white stripes, and demonic faces including one on his back obscured by his hair. His gauntlets sport extended claws. On his head sits a purple crown with a snake head emerging from it, and he has a purple cape and long blond hair.

The Emperor's first alternate outfit "Silver Despot" is a palette swap based on an Amano art of the Final Fantasy II cast, coloring his armor white, black and purple.

The Emperor's second alternate outfit "Violet Robe" is based on his appearance in the Final Fantasy OriginsFMV, giving him a primarily black robe with dark purple details, high shoulders, knee-high boots and a large purple sash around his waist. The Emperor's hair is styled differently, and he bears a single larger pair of horns.

As a downloadable fourth outfit "The Light Emperor", the Emperor takes on the form of the Emperor of Heaven as seen in the Soul of Rebirth bonus quest. The Emperor wears a pale yellow and gold robe with light purple linings that bares his upper torso and shoulders. He has a different hairsyle, and several white wings and a metal crest extend from behind his shoulders.

Story

Dissidia 012

Emperor in the Dissidia 012 FMV.

Expressing displeasure in Yuna awakening Tidus's memories, the Emperor attempts to kill her, but Tidus takes the fatal blow meant for her. In the middle of his battle with Yuna, the Emperor falls back after seeing Jecht's sacrifice and spirits him away. Later, the Emperor meets with Golbez under the impression that someone in their camp mentioned the crystals to Cosmos's warriors, who should not remember the events of a previous cycle, as well as planning to take advantage of the dormant shard within Jecht as well as that he plans to eliminate the Warriors of Cosmos under one fell swoop. To that end, bringing the unconscious Jecht before Chaos, the Emperor offers the god to convert Jecht to their side despite Garland's utter distrust that the Emperor had other motives. The Emperor later joins the group under Garland to stop Lightning's team from advancing, battling Yuna before falling back.

Scenario 013

Allying himself with Ultimecia in a plan to destroy Cosmos and end the cycle of war in Chaos's favor, the Emperor convinces Jecht that he will be able to return to his homeworld with Tidus if he helps him. The other villains follow the Emperor's plans, which include testing the heroes' resolve and eventually allowing them to claim their Crystals.

The Emperor and Ultimecia try to convince Sephiroth to join their cause.

The Emperor and Ultimecia approach Sephiroth and offer him a role in their alliance, but are rejected. The Emperor notices Bartz spying on them but allows him to escape, having sensed the Warrior of Light approaching, and instead dispatches Exdeath to pursue Bartz. Though the Emperor attempts to bribe his loyalty by presenting a fake Crystal, the Warrior of Light sees through the deception. After the Warrior tells him that the Crystals are not earned by mercy, but by strength, the Emperor attacks him. He loses and disappears, but not before he questions the Warrior's resolve, telling him that he will know the whole truth of the battle soon enough. At some point later, Kefka ends up meeting with the Emperor about what Sephiroth is planning. Kefka does not seem to care, as he feels that Sephiroth is not really special due to the fact that he is "Yet another sadistic maniac with a god complex." Kefka seemed to react with surprise when he learned from the Emperor that Sephiroth apparently killed himself in front of the Emperor in the last battle. They then decide to keep an eye on Sephiroth.

The Emperor intervenes when Jecht approaches Tidus.

When Jecht and Tidus confront each other, the Emperor halts them and tells Jecht that Tidus wishes to fight him out of hatred, which goes against their plan. Jecht departs and the Emperor battles Tidus himself, telling him he cannot find his Crystal if he fights for hatred. Shortly after, Golbez speaks to Jecht and questions his role in the Emperor's plan, implying the Emperor will ultimately betray his trust. Later, Jecht learns the Emperor's true plan and refuses to assist him any further, and attacks him. Tidus and Firion witness the fight, and Tidus leaves to follow Jecht and fight him. Taking advantage of Firion by himself, the Emperor questions the youth's goal in comparison to his friends, who have abandoned him to fulfill their desires. When Firion says he wishes to end the war, the Emperor mocks him, and Ultimecia appears to battle Firion. Though she loses, both Ultimecia and the Emperor accuse Firion of being too weak to fulfill his dream, and tell him he is nothing more than Cosmos's tool.

The Emperor fights Firion.

In spite of the Emperor's words, Firion is newly inspired by Cosmos and continues on. The Emperor encounters Firion again at the Dimensional Fortress, taunting him by saying that his dream is too foolish to come to realization. The Emperor subdues Firion, but Tidus and Cloud arrive to defend their comrade. The Emperor flees, inviting Firion to come battle him alone and prove himself. The two meet in Pandaemonium, and battle, and Firion is victorious and claims his Crystal. The Emperor begins to fade, but taunts Firion about his goal to end the war once again, claiming his dream will be crushed and Firion will be begging for the Emperor's rule.

After Chaos kills Cosmos, the Emperor reveals Jecht's true nature as a former warrior of Cosmos, and that he manipulated Jecht to fight Tidus to create Crystals attuned to darkness that will allow him to survive after Chaos destroys existence, leaving him reign over the remnants of reality and become the new god. The Emperor later reveals himself to the other Warrior of Cosmos, to which he explained to Firion when he remarked with surprise at his survival that he came back from the afterworld, as well as mentioning that the world is in dire need of a new ruler. Firion lashes that its because of fiends like the Emperor that conflict never fades. The Emperor then implies that things are going to get worse afterwards upon returning the other Warriors of Chaos are now acting outside the group to achieve their individual goals. He also remarks that the future is not the Warriors of Cosmos's to give or take, and remarks that they'll be his opening act until the beginning of his reign before he teleports away. He is later confronted by Golbez, both of their schemes exposed, who claims that he believes the Warriors of Cosmos have the power to destroy Chaos and restore the worlds to their former state.

The Emperor fades with an anguished cry.

Later, after all but Garland are defeated, the Emperor meets the Warriors of Cosmos and reveals how it was his plan that ensured they gathered the Crystals so Cosmos could be killed in order for the cycle to end and the Emperor able will rule over existence after Chaos is killed. Though defeated, he claims he will return once again as long as Chaos exists, and fades away with an anguished cry.

Battle

The Emperor is described as a Trap Master, and his arsenal consists of various traps, such as exploding mines and crests of energy which can paralyze the opponent. Most of his attacks, including his Flare HP attacks, allow the Emperor to continue moving and attacking to pressure the opponent, or give him time to charge up his signature Starfall attack. As a downside, his victory largely depends on the terrain and plane - in smaller areas his traps are more difficult to avoid, but in larger areas he has more room to lay said traps and for his Flare spell to track enemies. Most of his Brave attacks can be blocked or dashed through, and some can be reflected to damage the Emperor. Of particular note is that if the opponent uses a guard-crushing attack to reflect the Emperor's Flare, it will begin to track the Emperor himself instead.

Attacks

Throw two mines onto the ground that explode on contact.Additional Effect:Absorb

Thunder Crest

Ground

30 (15)

120

Initial

Form a circle of energy on the ground that draws in opponents, damaging and stunning them over a period of time.Additional Effect:Absorb

Bombard

Ground

30 (15)

120

Level 3

Hit opponent with staff, knocking them back and planting mines on their chest that explode to launch them into the air. Can be used to reflect attacks. Crushes guards.Additional Effect:Chase

Dynamite(ground)

Ground

30 (15)

120

Level 8

Charge and fire an orb of orange energy that sticks to walls and ceilings. Can trap and stun enemies for a period of time before exploding. If the opponent blocks the attack, the orb will absorb and damage the Emperor instead.Additional Effects:Absorb, Wall Rush (Long charge)

Light Crest(ground)

Ground

30 (15)

180

Level 14

Conjure a field of magic that shoots projectiles when the opponent comes close. The projectiles bounce off walls and barriers and curve in the air to track the opponent.

Mine

Aerial

20 (10)

90

Initial

Throw two floating mines that explode on contact. The mines bounce off walls and barriers before resting into position.Additional Effect:Absorb

Light Crest(midair)

Aerial

30 (15)

180

Initial

Conjure a field of magic that shoots projectiles when the opponent comes close. The projectiles bounce off walls and barriers and curve in the air to track the opponent.

Dynamite(midair)

Aerial

30 (15)

120

Level 28

Charge and fire an orb of orange energy that sticks to walls and ceilings. Can trap and stun enemies for a period of time before exploding. If the opponent blocks the attack, the orb will absorb and damage the Emperor instead.Additional Effect:Absorb, Wall Rush (Long charge)

Charge for a long period of time to summon a barrage of fireballs around opponent before a meteor slams them to the ground.Additional Effect:Wall Rush, Absorb

Bravery attacks

Move

Type

CP (Mastered)

AP

Obtained

Description

Image

Landmine

Ground

30 (15)

80

Initial

Throw two mines onto the ground that explode on contact.Additional Effect:Absorb

Thunder Crest

Ground

30 (15)

100

Initial

Form a circle of energy on the ground that draws in opponents, damaging and stunning them over a period of time.Additional Effect:Absorb

Bombard

Ground

30 (15)

100

Level 3

Hit opponent with staff, knocking them back and planting mines on their chest that explode to launch them into the air. Can be used to reflect attacks. Crushes guards.Additional Effect:Chase

Dynamite(ground)

Ground

30 (15)

100

Level 8

Charge and fire an orb of orange energy that sticks to walls and ceilings. Can trap and stun enemies for a period of time before exploding. If the opponent blocks the attack, the orb will absorb and damage the Emperor instead. Crushes guards on full charge.Additional Effects:Absorb, Wall Rush (Long charge)

Light Crest(ground)

Ground

30 (15)

100

Level 14

Conjure a field of magic on the ground that shoots projectiles upwards when the opponent comes close. The projectiles bounce off walls and barriers and curve in the air to track the opponent.

Throw two floating mines that explode on contact. The mines bounce off walls and barriers before resting into position.Additional Effect:Absorb

Light Crest(midair)

Aerial

30 (15)

100

Initial

Conjure a field of magic in the air that shoots projectiles forward when the opponent comes close. The projectiles bounce off walls and barriers and curve in the air to track the opponent.

Dynamite(midair)

Aerial

30 (15)

100

Level 28

Charge and fire an orb of orange energy that sticks to walls and ceilings. Can trap and stun enemies for a period of time before exploding. If the opponent blocks the attack, the orb will absorb and damage the Emperor instead.Crushes guards on full charge.Additional Effects:Absorb, Wall Rush (Long charge)

Charge for a long period of time to summon a barrage of fireballs around opponent before a meteor slams them to the ground.Additional Effect:Wall Rush, Absorb, Magic Block

Flare(midair)

Aerial

30 (15)

130

Initial

Fire a sphere of orange fire that hovers in place in the air. The sphere is destroyed if hit with an opponent's guard-crushing attack. Slams opponent to the ground on contact.Additional Effect:Wall Rush

Dreary Cell(midair)

Aerial

30 (15)

130

Level 30

Create a spark of light in the air that expands into a crest of energy and surrounds opponent with exploding mines when they come close enough.Additional Effect:Absorb

The Emperor's EX Mode is Power of Hellfire, where he takes on the form of the Emperor of Hell, his form when faced as the final boss of Final Fantasy II. His body becomes bulkier, his clothing is darker with more pronounced spikes, and his face and crown become demonic in appearance. While in EX Mode he gains the ability "Blood Magic", where the Emperor will heal an equivalent amount of HP whenever the opponent's HP is damaged.

The Emperor's EX Burst, Absolute Dominion, requires the player to press a sequence of buttons as they light up around the Emperor as he charges energy. If the player fails to execute all five commands correctly in time, the Emperor attacks with the opponent with Cyclone. If the player gets all five commands correct, the Emperor uses Entice, attacking the opponent with beams of energy, to which his human form briefly makes an appearance while using the attack.

Allusions

The Emperor's EX Burst attack Cyclone is a reference to the Cyclone he used to destroy the Kingdom of Fynn in Final Fantasy II.

In Shade Impulse C2-5, the Emperor’s exclaims "How could I lose...not once but twice? Who ARE you?". This is the same as his final words in Final Fantasy II. His dialogue in Shade Impulse C2-1, "I've come back from the afterworld", is derived from when he returned from Hell.

When the Emperor battles a mirror match, his fight introduction is "This world can have but one emperor!" He originally said these words to Leon, who had declared himself the new emperor in Final Fantasy II after the Emperor's death.

The Emperor's death cry "Ungaahhhh!" is his trademark death wail from Final Fantasy II. He makes the same cry when defeated in battle and in a cutscene in Shade Impulse. As a reference to this, Tidus' fight introduction against the Emperor is "What's this 'Ungaahh!' business?".

The Emperor's HP attacks Flare and Starfall are references to the Emperor's final form in Final Fantasy II, where Flare XVI and Starfall X were his sole offensive attacks besides physical blows. His Bravery attacks appear to be lightning-based, reflecting the boss battle with his human form, where Thunder X was his only offensive spell. In Final Fantasy II when fought as the final boss, the Emperor's physical attacks healed him, reflected in Dissidia by the Emperor's EX Mode bonus "Blood Magic".

The Emperor's ground Flare fires a blue fireball, while his midair Flare fires an orange fireball. In most Final Fantasy titles the animation for Flare is orange, but in Final Fantasy II its animation is blue.

In Shade Impulse, the Emperor says "Death, life, even the divine shall come under my rule!". This may be an allusion to the Soul of Rebirth quest in the Game Boy Advance and PSP releases of Final Fantasy II, where the Emperor's dark side conquers hell, while his light side ascends to Heaven and becomes the lord of Arubboth. There is possibly a similar allusion in the fact that the Emperor's final death in Dissidia involves both darkness and a small amount of light emanating from his disappearing body. It also references the death animation of the Dark Emperor in the PSX and GBA remakes.

When the Emperor faces Cecil and asks "Ought you not be on our side?", it is also a possible reference to when the Empire converted Leon into a Dark Knight.

Trivia

The Emperor's Starfall attack has the longest charge time of any attack in the game, requiring more than eight seconds to execute.

Other than Garland and Cloud, the Emperor is the only Warrior of Chaos to speak to Chaos himself.

Though his artwork depicts him holding his staff with his left hand, in-game the Emperor carries it with his right, a peculiarity also shared by Tidus and Jecht.

In the original Japanese release, the Emperor had the fewest HP attacks in the game, with only Flare and the ground and aerial versions of Starfall.

In the Battle Tips menu, Penelo has a very negative opinion of the Emperor, despising him for his love of domination and subjugation and even claiming that she does not "even want to see that guy's face!". This is a reference to the hatred she bore against the Archadian Empire which invaded her homeland, Dalmasca.

Fully charged, the final hit of the Emperor's Dynamite attack has the highest base power of any attack in the game, not counting EX Bursts.

From the Emperor's quotes to the other characters, the only ones that seem to have his respect are Ultimecia and Shantotto.

Oddly the Emperor's staff cannot be seen through the transparent cloth falling from the Emperor's waist, this oddity is present in all of his in game costume renders save his third alternative costume in which the cloth isn't present.

Possibly, the Emperor fills slot for Yuna's Final Fantasy X opponent, Seymour, due to their similar nature of being excellent mages and somewhat resemble each other physically. This is shown in two moments:

Yuna is determined to kill the Emperor, just like she was determined to kill Seymour.Additionally, "Seymour Battle -arrange-" plays during their first battle.

The Emperor at battle in Empyreal Paradox provokes Yuna during battle by saying he wants to see "how tragedy unfolds", when she states that "it is her story", alluding of her dream of bringing joy to people of Spira.

The Emperor's new move in Dissidia 012, Dreary Cell, was taken from an attack shown in Dissidia Final Fantasy. In the opening sequence, Terra step into the trap as she was fighting Ultimecia, but survived. It was also shown during the confrontation between Firion and himself, in which Firion fell into his trap.